A 67-year-old woman was killed and her 70-year-old husband was critically injured Sunday afternoon when a 26-year-old Yakima man driving the wrong way at high speed slammed head-on into their vehicle on Coolidge Road, according to investigators. The driver was arrested at the scene on suspicion of vehicular homicide and vehicular assault.
The crash happened around 4:30 p.m. in the 7600 block of Coolidge Road, according to TriYakNews.com. Investigators said the 26-year-old was traveling westbound in the eastbound lane at a high rate of speed when his vehicle struck the couple's car head-on. The husband and wife were trapped inside their vehicle, and Yakima police officers and fire personnel worked to extricate them and provide emergency medical treatment, per the same account.
Both were transported to MultiCare Memorial Hospital with life-threatening injuries. The woman died at the hospital, while her husband was later airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for additional treatment, the report states. Police believe alcohol was a contributing factor in the collision, though that determination has not been confirmed through test results or a final investigative finding.
Driver Booked on Suspicion of Homicide, Assault Charges
The Yakima resident was arrested at the crash scene and booked into Yakima County jail on suspicion of vehicular homicide and vehicular assault, the station reports. No charges have been formally filed, and it remains unclear whether the case will proceed to prosecution. The Yakima Police Department Traffic Unit continues to investigate the crash.
Under Washington law, vehicular homicide is classified as a class A felony, according to RCW 46.61.520, while vehicular assault is classified as a class B felony under RCW 46.61.522. Those statutory classifications describe how Washington law treats such offenses generally and do not reflect any determination of guilt in this case.
Pattern of Deadly Crashes on Yakima-Area Roads
Sunday's crash adds to a string of serious collisions that have struck the Yakima area in recent years. In January 2025, a southbound Jeep Grand Cherokee failed to stop at the intersection of S 16th Avenue and W Washington Avenue and struck a Jeep Wrangler stopped there, killing the Wrangler's 55-year-old driver, according to nbcrightnow.com.
A separate three-vehicle crash near Sunnyside also proved fatal when a westbound Ford F350 crossed the center line and struck two eastbound vehicles, killing a woman, as reported by yakimaherald.com. And in April, a Yakima Superior Court judge set bail at $100,000 for a suspect in another fatal crash case in the county, the outlet separately reported.
No further details about the identities of those involved in Sunday's crash, the husband's current condition, or the status of any charges have been released. The investigation remains active.
